U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Safely connect using HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Publications Library
  3. Headquarters Guidance Documents Collection

Headquarters Guidance Documents Collection

This page contains guidance documents that DHS headquarters components issue to help the public understand how DHS administers its statutory and regulatory authorities. You can find further information about DHS guidance documents, including guidance documents issued by other DHS components, at https://www.dhs.gov/guidance.

In general, guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law or as incorporated into a contract.

  • Recommendations for Emergency Managers for Improving the Delivery of Disaster Assistance to Disaster Survivors with Disabilities

    Following DHS listening sessions in many communities heavily impacted by natural disasters in 2017 and 2018, the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties makes the following recommendations to state, local, territorial, and tribal emergency managers to improve the delivery of disaster assistance to disaster survivors with disabilities.  The recommendations are grouped by major areas DHS covered in the listening sessions.

  • Developing a Discrimination Complaints Process

    This document outlines the basic elements of a process for receiving and responding to complaints of discrimination from program beneficiaries (e.g., program participants, clients, customers, or consumers, etc.). This document can assist recipients in developing a complaint process for their own organization.

  • DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool

    Entities selected to receive a grant, cooperative agreement, or other award of Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or one of its Components must complete the DHS Civil Rights Evaluation Tool and submit required data within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Notice of Award or, for State Administering Agencies, thirty (30) days from receipt of this form from DHS or its awarding component.

  • Sample Policy and Notice of Nondiscrimination for Recipients

    Sample policy and notice of nondiscrimination for recipients, provided in Word so that organizations can modify it to fit their needs. Translations provided.

  • Notice to Recipients on Nondiscrimination During Disasters

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reminds its recipients of federal financial assistance that are engaged in emergency management (e.g., state and local emergency management agencies, other recipients) and their subrecipients of federal funds, of their obligations to ensure that individuals and communities affected by disasters do not face unlawful discrimination in the provision of federally assisted services to disaster survivors.

  • Title VI Overview and Requirements at the Department of Homeland Security

    The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) oversees enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. CRCL coordinates a federally assisted compliance program, and provides guidance and technical assistance to Department recipients to help organizations understand their obligations under Title VI and related civil rights authorities.

  • Limited English Proficiency Guidance for Recipients of DHS Financial Assistance

    DHS offers guidance to its recipients of federal financial assistance on their obligations to provide meaningful access to Limited English Proficiency (LEP) persons, as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Department's implementing regulations.

  • Best Practices for Protecting Privacy, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Programs

    The development of a new technology, significant improvement of a current technology, or the new application of an existing technology often results in concerns about the impact on individual privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.  The integration of government and commercial unmanned aircraft systems into the National Airspace System by 2015, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, has prompted questions about how this might impact individual rights.  In this regard, CRCL, Privacy, and CBP jointly established the DHS Unmanned Aircraft Systems Privacy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Working Group in September 2012 to “provide leadership to the homeland security enterprise by clarifying the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties legal and policy issues surrounding government use of [Unmanned Aircraft Systems].”  The Working Group drafted the best practices.  

  • DHS Language Access Resources

    The following Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) materials and resources can assist DHS personnel and grantees in serving LEP individuals.

  • Disability Access at the Department of Homeland Security

    DHS is committed to nondiscrimination for persons with disabilities in its programs and activities, through enforcement and compliance with requirements of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Below, find documents related to disability access.